


Happy Birthday To Me

by Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer



Series: Renegades (Steven Universe: Homeworld AU) [17]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Party, Fireworks, Fluff, Gen, Grief/Mourning, I Am My Mom Gone Wrong, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Memory Loss, Past Brainwashing, Past Character Death, Past Kidnapping, Past Memory Loss, Past Torture, Protective Amethyst (Steven Universe), Protective Garnet (Steven Universe), Protective Greg (Steven Universe), Protective Pearl (Steven Universe), Renegades Steven Universe AU, Singing, Steven Universe Has PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, War Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer/pseuds/Lucigoosey_The_Lightbringer
Summary: She wouldn't be smiling if she'd woken him up from a nightmare, would she? - as she lifts a hand to diminish her visor and leans over him again, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He melts into the touch (because how can he not), but he's still confused until she murmurs softly against his skin, words laced with nothing but love, "happy birthday, Steven."| Post-IARQ (I Am Rose Quartz.)
Relationships: Amethyst & Steven Universe, Bismuth & Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Garnet & Steven Universe, Greg Universe & Steven Universe, Lion & Connie Maheswaran, Lion & Steven Universe, Onion & Steven Universe, Pearl & Steven Universe, Pee Dee Fryman & Steven Universe, Pumpkin & Steven Universe, Sadie Miller & Steven Universe, Steven Universe & Original Gem Character(s)
Series: Renegades (Steven Universe: Homeworld AU) [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918204
Comments: 14
Kudos: 37





	Happy Birthday To Me

A few nights later, Garnet shakes Steven awake, whispering in his ear. "Steven… wake up…"

He doesn't startle, despite the nightmare he'd been having. It takes him a few seconds to register what had just happened as he peels his eyes open and blinks into the darkness. Garnet's face hovers over his, a few inches away and the widest smile written there that Steven thinks he's ever seen. He stares for a moment, concerned and confused - had he been making noises in his sleep? She wouldn't be smiling if she'd woken him up from a nightmare, would she? - as she lifts a hand to diminish her visor and leans over him again, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He melts into the touch (because how can he not), but he's still confused until she murmurs softly against his skin, words laced with nothing but love, "happy birthday, Steven."

"Birthday?" Steven echoes dumbly, looking up at her in confusion for a moment longer before it hits him. Despite himself, he freezes beneath her, pupils shrinking as he stares back up at her.

Birthday. It's his birthday? He hadn't even known, hadn't even thought about such a thing in so long. He's too stunned to offer her a proper response; the only thing he can do is stare as she takes his hands and tugs him into a sitting position, dumbfounded. What does this mean, then? He's… he's fifteen, isn't he? Fifteen years old. The thought stings somehow, in a way he can't quite place. It all feels wrong. The number feels wrong. He feels so much older than _fifteen._

He blinks a few times, an endless struggle to clear the fogginess from his mind as Garnet pulls him into a hug. Whatever pain he felt is immediately washed away, replaced with warmth as he wraps his arms around her in return and manages a sleepy smile into her shoulder as she holds him. "How does it feel to be another year older, Steven Quartz Cutie Pie Universe?" She whispers, and he can't help but huff out a laugh despite himself. He doesn't know the answer. Truthfully, it doesn't feel any different. He might have had some excited, wondrous answer a while ago, trapped in awe and excitement. Now he's not too sure what he's supposed to say.

"It… feels the same," he admits, pulling back, but smiles at her nonetheless. "Fifteen…"

"Fifteen," Garnet murmurs. The smile on her face is tentative now, eyes glazed with nostalgia and… _sorrow_ , of all things, as she runs her fingers through his hair gently. "You're fifteen."

It must sting for her, too. Steven understands.

After a moment, however, he forces himself to shake the thoughts away. He's fifteen, yeah, but it's his birthday. And he gets to spend it at home, on Earth, with his family and all his friends. Well, most of his friends. He's not entirely sure Agate and Sage would understand the concept of a birthday (though he feels like Tangerine would have given him a bone crushing hug once it was explained to her, something he's definitely upset to miss out on), and he doesn't even know if the other gems would understand either. It feels a little weird to want to celebrate anything, though, with what had been going on recently. Still, he tries to match her excitement somewhat. "So?" He smiles and gestures to himself, rubbing his eyes. "Do I look a day over fourteen?"

Garnet laughs at that, ruffling his hair, and he giggles and pushes his head up into the touch. "You look like you," she replies warmly, kissing his forehead again. "But you should go back to sleep now. I only wanted to wake you up to tell you before morning, because Amethyst and Greg plan on taking you out into town tomorrow to celebrate with them." He hums a little at that, somewhat amused as he shakes his head and lays back down, certainly having no objections to going back to sleep. She chuckles as he does and stands back up again, tucking the blanket back over him with a smile and brushing his curls from his face. "Goodnight. Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Garnet," Steven whispers. "Goodnight."

She leaves, and he stares at the ceiling for a while, trapped in his own thoughts until the familiar pitter-patter of Pumpkin approaching catches his attention. He looks just as she jumps up onto his bed and bounds up beside him, stifling a giggle as she rasps her tongue over his whole face. Placing a hand against her cheek to push her back a little, he offers a warm smile and rubs his face dry with the corner of his blanket. "And thank you, Pumpkin. Happy birthday to me, huh?"

Yipping softly, the little creature curls up beside him and makes a gentle purring sound. He rests his hand over her body carefully and lets his eyes slip shut again, unable to keep back a smile.

Maybe this won't be so bad.

* * *

When morning comes, he's bombarded with hugs from Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst and Greg as soon as he comes down the stairs. Greg is the first, and Steven can't keep himself from squealing out a laugh as his father pulls him into a hug, seemingly trying to pick him up. Of course, that doesn't go over too well; Steven's not as little as he used to be, and his muscles don't exactly make him a light weight to carry. Greg pouts a little, but ultimately seems more excited than anything as he pulls back, ruffles the hybrid's hair and exclaims, "happy birthday, Schtu-ball! Fifteen already! Gosh, seems like just yesterday…" He trails off, doesn't finish, but smiles all the same. Steven just giggles and reaches up to fix his hair, opening his mouth, but cuts off with a startled squeak. He's pulled back into Amethyst's arms, and the purple Quartz has much better luck lifting him up over her head than Greg had. Steven can't bite back a gasp, unafraid but certainly surprised, but it doesn't take too long for him to dissolve into giggles.

"Happy _birthday_ , little man! Well-" She puts him down, carefully, then spins him around to face her again, grinning wider than Steven thinks he's seen her since he had returned. "Not so little anymore, huh? Look at you, you're taller than I am now." She sighs, but not too dejectedly - the smile on her face makes it hard for Steven to find any negativity in her gaze, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement and warmth. "And you've got a neck! An even better one than before!"

"Amethyst," Garnet objects, then chuckles. "Oh, she's right. Happy birthday."

"You two!" Pearl scolds, laughing as she approaches, and Steven can't bite back a laugh. He looks up and smiles slightly at Pearl - despite the fact that that feeling returns, the uncertainty and confusion. But he shoves it away for the time being, accepting the hug the pale gem offers. "Happy birthday, Steven," she tells him softly, kissing his head. "I love you."

Despite himself, Steven's throat closes up at the words. "I love you too, Mom."

He's surprised when the next one who hugs him is Lemon Lime, but he's certainly not opposed. The limb enhancers don't make for a warm embrace, but it's a warming feeling all the same. "Happy birthday, Steven!"

"Thanks-" Steven laughs, squeezing slightly and pulling back. "Do you even know what…"

From the couch, Berry snorts and interjects, "they only explained it a few thousand times." There's a moment of silence, just a few seconds, before she grumbles, "happy birthday, hybrid."

"It's such a wonderful thing to celebrate, isn't it?" Candy asks suddenly, excitedly, as she moves forward to stand beside Lemon Lime. Steven can't help but smile as she reaches out to take his hands, chuckling as he laces his fingers with the Pearl's. "The day that you were created. And not only do you get to celebrate, but your loved ones get to celebrate the day you were brought into their lives…" Candy's eyes practically sparkle as she pulls him into a hug, and Steven, honestly moved by that, takes a few seconds to react and wrap his arms around her in return. "Happy birthday, Steven. I'm so happy you exist, and that I was able to meet you."

"Yeah, happy birthday," Clementine mutters, rubbing her eyes. "Candy, you sap."

"Thanks, guys." Steven can't suppress a quiet laugh, a gentle huff of air, as he squeezes Candy back lightly before pulling away. He rubs his own eyes, but they don't sting, there's no tears. It's just a warm feeling, a rapidly-growing heat behind his eyeballs. Berry smirks at him for a moment, amused, then trails her gaze toward Pearl. Her eyes linger for a few seconds longer before she looks away again, over her shoulder, when the warp pad activates; Steven watches the stream for a moment, smiling as Bismuth's familiar form comes into view as she lands on the warp pad and jumps down almost immediately. She pauses for only a second, looking around, and then her gaze lands on him - and she lights up a little more than he expects her to.

"Yo, Steven! Happy birthday, meatball!"

_("A meatball with a gem! You don't see that every day.")_

He blinks, and stares at her for a moment, Cherry Quartz's face flashing across his vision for only a second. He blinks again, and once more, and shakes his head with a smile. "Thanks." He pauses for a moment, looking back when Pumpkin starts making her way down the stairs, having just woken up. Almost instinctively, his gaze snaps right back to the counter, where Peridot's gem rests safely on its pillow, and his heart aches just a little bit in response. He'd give anything to have her there with him now, but… but he knows she wouldn't feel like celebrating.

Hell, the reminder alone almost makes him falter enough that he doesn't want to celebrate either, but he's quick to push that aside. He won't let his grief consume him, not like Blue did.

Instead, he leans down and scoops Pumpkin into his arms, bringing her to the kitchen. Pearl follows after him, with the intention of cooking, and Steven is more than happy to surrender that chore over to her; it gives him time to polish Peridot's gem. So he puts Pumpkin on the counter and settles down to get to work, while Amethyst walks over and hops up onto one of the stools, leaning over the counter and crossing her arms with a grin. "Better be quick about breakfast, little man," she calls as he takes Peridot's gem into his hands carefully. Her gaze flicks down to it, but only briefly, before her eyes snap back up to his face. Her smile doesn't waver, but it becomes a little more strained for a few seconds. "Greg and I are taking you out to celebrate."

Steven bites back a knowing smile, not letting his eyes stray toward Garnet as they want to. Clementine seems to perk up a little bit then. "If you're going into town, I might come along. It's been a few days since I've talked to Vidalia…" The Jasper raises a hand, rubbing the back of her neck, and Amethyst lets out a quiet hum of agreement. "And Kiki… and Jenny… yeah, I should probably get out," Clementine mumbles, and Steven huffs out a few quiet chuckles.

"Well, Jenny's gonna be busy with- oh," Lemon Lime mumbles, cutting off when Berry shoots him a warning look. Steven glances at them curiously, but the Peridot doesn't look at him yet, instead seemingly finding something very interesting in the wooden planks beneath his feet.

Pumpkin nuzzles up against Steven's face before he has a proper chance to question anything, however, and the hybrid smiles slightly as he reaches out and rubs the little creature's cheek. "You wanna come with us, Pumpkin? It's been a little while since you've gotten out too," he murmurs knowingly, remembering the brief trip to the barn. A part of him actually wants to go back now, but it also felt… odd. Like he didn't quite belong there, not without Lapis or Peridot. He shakes his head a little, while Pumpkin gently nips at his fingers and lets out a few yips of agreement. "The more the merrier," Steven chuckles, and pulls away to turn back to his task.

* * *

When they head into town later, Connie and Lion meet them at the boardwalk, and Steven once again receives another hug - this time one he's prepared for, even though Connie practically launches herself forward at him, arms outstretched. If he'd been a bit younger, the force in which she barrels into him might have been enough to take him off his feet, but he doesn't even rock back a little when she hugs him; he just laughs, throws his arms around her, and squeezes. "Happy birthday! I got you something," she tells him excitedly, squeezing him back just as tightly before pulling away again. Lion ends up pressing forward and nuzzling against Steven while Connie steps away from them and starts digging through her bag, and Steven giggles slightly as the pink beast rasps his tongue over his face and presses his forehead against the hybrid's.

Affection. The stars know how much he's missed it. And coming from Lion, it's even sweeter.

"So, I've noticed," Connie starts, as Steven wraps his arms around Lion's neck and nuzzles his face into his mane with a content smile. "That you don't wear your star shirts anymore - which, understandable, they're too small for you now, but-" She giggles a little, the sound soft and sweet and Steven can't help the smile that spreads across his face as he looks back up at her. "You're a Crystal Gem, and every Crystal Gem needs a star, right? So…" Pulling out a small, wrapped box, Connie turns back to him and holds it out, eyes sparkling excitedly. "Here you go."

"You didn't have to get me anything," Steven tells her softly, but he can't stifle his own excitement as he pulls away from Lion and takes the box, starting to unwrap the bow on top.

"Of course I did!" Connie objects, then smirks. "Also, you don't have to unwrap it. It's just a box made to look like it's been carefully wrapped," she says, and Steven pauses for a moment, hand hovering over the bow, and spares a glance back up at her with a grin. Oh, yes, he _remembers._

"Open it!" Amethyst exclaims suddenly, nudging him. "Come on!"

"Okay, okay," Steven huffs out a laugh and looks back down, easing the top off of the box carefully. He freezes again with his hand mid-air, clutching the top of the box tightly, once he sees what's inside; resting carefully inside the box are two golden earrings, shaped like stars. His mouth opens slightly as he stares at them, raking his gaze over them slowly, taking them in, but not a single sound escapes; only a soft, silent gasp. They're beautiful, nothing like the earrings that had been forced onto him on Homeworld - not that those weren't beautiful, but it's what they represent that really catches him off guard. These are a gift, an offering, a choice. These represent who he is, what he is. He is a Crystal Gem. He is Steven Universe. He stares at them for a moment, wide-eyed, then flicks his gaze up to Connie, who looks a little worried.

"Do you like them?"

"I love them," Steven breathes, unable to bite back the grin that stretches across his face. Connie seems to light up almost immediately at that, eyes sparkling again. "Thank you, Connie." Connie responds with nothing but a quiet, wordless squeal and another hug, and Steven giggles as he wraps his arms around her again, careful not to drop the box or let the earrings fall out.

* * *

After that, they continued going around, this time joined by Connie and Lion; Greg helped him put the earrings on, much gentler than Blue Pearl had been, and he checked his reflection with the camera on his phone and couldn't help but grin. It felt like another puzzle piece; fitting perfectly into place as if it had always been there. It felt right. He hugged Connie again, and then Lion when the animal persisted, then climbed onto Lion's back with the human and Pumpkin as they continued on their way, with Greg and Amethyst taking up the front, leading.

He can't stop touching the earrings, feeling them against his fingers, and he can't keep the grin off his face every time he does. They stop by the Big Donut, where Sadie greets them. "Hey, Steven, happy birthday! Nice earrings," she adds, looking at them curiously, and he grins wider.

"Thanks," he giggles, looking toward Connie briefly. "Connie got them for me."

"They're beautiful," Sadie replies warmly, and smirks a little. "I got you something, too, but it's gonna have to wait for later." She doesn't elaborate and he doesn't really need to ask her to; truthfully, he'd put the pieces together himself when Clementine had suddenly disappeared while they were going through the city after they'd passed the Cool Kids, who suspiciously looked like they were on their way to the temple. He's not as oblivious as he used to be either. "Aw, man…" Sadie's expression shifts suddenly, a wistful look clouding her eyes. Steven furrows his eyebrows, concerned, as he leans forward and crosses his arms over Pumpkin carefully, stretching up to peer down at Sadie over Lion's head, but the human has a fond smile on her face despite that familiar look in her eyes. "Guess you don't want a birthday donut, huh?"

Steven cracks a smile at that, shaking his head a little. "No thank you." He pauses, rubbing his knuckles over Pumpkin's side lightly, and hums, "buuuut if you wanna give me a birthday _bagel-_ "

Sadie snaps her fingers and points at him, grinning. "You got it. One sec."

"Hey, I'll accept a donut!" Amethyst calls as she disappears into the back room. Steven snickers.

* * *

They stop by the fry shop, where Greg and Amethyst immediately order a bunch of fries and fry bits along with the donuts Sadie had given them, and Steven is quick to slide off Lion's back when Peedee rushes out to hug him, greeting him with a cheerful 'happy birthday' and immediately presenting him with a gift like Connie had, insisting that he just couldn't wait. Upon opening them, he finds a bunch of crop tops with varying colors, and he honestly can't contain his excitement the moment he realizes what they were. "Now you don't have to tie your shirts up anymore," Peedee teases, and Steven laughs, looking through them. One of them, he notices…

… one of them is colored in different shades of blues and pinks and purples, and stars help him, it feels like he's looking directly at Homeworld's sky for a moment as he gazes at the shirt. That feeling, that sticky, toxic feeling, suddenly feels bubbly and light, wistful and gentle, and _sweet._

He can't find the words to describe how it makes him feel, so he only offers a soft thanks.

But that shirt's the first one he tries on.

* * *

After that, they spend a few hours at Funland. They run into Onion (who gifts Steven a stick, a rock and a caterpillar), they play games, they ride some of the roller coasters and the teacups, and Steven ends up winning a small stuffed alien for Pumpkin and a giant glowstick bracelet for Lion - who wears it proudly around one of his front paws. Then Greg wins a remote control airplane, which they take turns playing with (Amethyst ends up shifting into an airplane herself and racing it) and Onion prods Steven into trying a few bites of cotton candy by eating some himself despite his own aversion to most food, and the hybrid finds that he does not, in fact, like cotton candy, and also can't handle sugar nearly as well as he used to, because after Amethyst eventually stops him a few bites in, Steven feels a mixture of nauseous, lightheaded and _hyper_.

Finally, though, Amethyst shifts back to normal and checks her phone, and Steven knows it's time to go before she even says anything. He starts putting the stuff away, bubbling the prizes (safe for Lion's bracelet and Pumpkin's alien, which she's insistent on carrying herself), and climbs up onto the pink beast's back, helping Onion up with him when the boy lifts his arms. "Alright, I think it's time to head back to the beach house." She pauses. "You comin' with us?"

"Yep." Connie's already climbing up onto Lion's back with Steven, amused, as the hybrid settles Pumpkin and Onion in his lap. "We're ready to go."

"Sweet." Amethyst smirks, glancing at Greg, who nods with a grin. "Let's go, then."

He thinks he's prepared, but he's really, really not.

When they get there, immediately, Steven notices _everything._ Glowsticks litter the beach, an array of colors (but mostly pinks, blues and greens), and stage lamps stuck into the sand as they turn the corner on Lion. And just ahead, sure enough, a large stage sits just below the beach house, beside the stairs. Colors flashing, lights shining. Sadie stands on top with the Cool Kids, helping them adjust the lights and microphones; Candy is tying balloons around a beam; Lemon Lime and Berry are setting up a table with wrapped presents piled up on top, Pearl is hanging a banner reading 'Happy Birthday, Steven', and below that, Garnet is hanging one that says 'Welcome To Earth'. Clementine, along with Kiki, is setting up a punch bowl on another table, sneaking a few sips with the human and giggling to themselves, probably at the taste.

Steven sits stunned for a few seconds, genuinely not knowing what to do, or what to say. He'd known they were planning a party, but he certainly hadn't expected it to be anything like this. And he never even expected it to be a birthday thing; that had been the last thing on his mind. He's… touched, he's startled, he's happy. And above all of that, scanning the second banister, he realizes for the first time just how truly lucky he is to be here. How lucky they all are to be here. He might have grown fond of Homeworld in some ways, but the Earth was… magnificent.

He… _needed_ to be here. He _needed_ Earth.

"Surprise!" Candy squeals as they approach, throwing a handful of confetti in their direction, and Steven can't help but laugh. Bismuth appears then, stepping out from behind the stage.

"All set up here," she calls to the humans up top, and Sour Cream offers her a thumbs up.

"This is amazing," Steven mumbles, mostly to himself, as he slides down from Lion's back and puts Pumpkin and Onion down. Onion is quick to head for the stage to where Sour Cream is, and Pumpkin makes a direct beeline for Pearl, who picks her up once she hangs the banner.

"The others are on their way, buuuuut…" Amethyst smirks, throwing an arm around Steven and ruffling his hair. "Glad you like it, Ste-man… hey, you know what? Now that you're fifteen, you-"

"No!" Greg and Pearl interrupt at the same time, glaring at the purple Quartz, who pouts.

"The others…" Steven begins, unbothered. "Who else is coming?"

"The Pizzas, the Fryman family, Jamie, Suitcase Sam, Vidalia… y'know. Everyone," Amethyst replies, ruffling his hair again before pulling away and heading over to Garnet. Steven stares after her for a moment, still stunned, then slowly allows a smile to spread across his face. Everyone. Everyone in Beach City, that is. The thought warms him from head to toe; again, he can't explain the amount of warmth and fuzziness he's feeling from that, but it's a nice feeling. The hybrid shifts, looking over as Connie hops down beside him, offering the hybrid a huge grin.

"Wanna try some punch?"

Steven hums, thinking that over, then smirks. "Yeah, okay."

The others don't take long to arrive; first comes Peedee and his family, and Steven greets them all (even Ronaldo, despite how much the human still kinda puts him on edge) with open arms. Then the Pizza family, and he accepts a hug from Nanafua and a pat on the head from Kofi. Barb squeezes him about as tight as she can when she gets there, and Vidalia jokingly asks if he's old enough to have a sip of whiskey yet, much to Amethyst's delight and Greg's chagrin.

Jamie attempts to scoop him up the second he arrives, but when the hybrid doesn't budge, he settles for just a normal hug. "Jesus, I can't believe how much you've grown! It feels like so long ago now you were ordering packages from Wacky Sack and carrying around that Cheeseburger Backpack of yours and singing songs about everything, and now you're almost as tall as I am-"

"Don't cry, Jamie," Barb calls to him from the punch table.

"I'm not!"

"Hey, I still sing songs about everything," Steven teases. "You want me to sing? I'll sing-"

"Not yet!" Sadie laughs, jumping down from the stage and walking over to them with a grin. "We've almost got everything set up." He spares her a curious look then, but she just smirks.

Steven sighs, then smiles. "Must you always be so mysterious?"

"Mystery is good sometimes, hybrid." Berry brushes past him suddenly, holding a box. Steven watches curiously as she splits from the rest of the group, waiting until there's nothing but sand around her before she puts the box down and turns to face the other again. "Tell me when!"

"Tell her when what?"

"Wait." Amethyst pauses, turning. "Are those the fireworks?"

"Fireworks?" Pearl's already pale face seems to go even paler at that. "Wait, you can't."

Steven just blinks, staring at the box for a moment. Berry simply raises her eyebrows, looking confused, but she does step away from the box after a few seconds. Steven just struggles to think, to remember what fireworks are… he does remember, he thinks. He remembers bright, colorful flashes in the sky, loud crackles and explosions. He remembers covering his ears when he's too close, because it's loud enough to hurt, but he also remembers not being able to stay too far away from them either because of how bright and beautiful they are. Ah, he remembers. And he understands. "Wait, no- it's okay," he says quickly, looking back at Pearl. "It's okay."

Pearl looks doubtful, however, glancing between Steven and the box. Greg himself doesn't look too certain. "Steven, bud, they're pretty loud," his father tells him carefully. "Like… explosions."

"I know." Steven pauses for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek, then nods. "It's okay."

Pearl exchanges another worried look with Greg and the gems, but eventually, they simply incline their heads in a hesitant agreement. "In that case!" Jenny clasps her hands together, stepping forward, and offers Steven a bright smile before it morphs into a somewhat mischievous expression, the wicked little grin of someone who knows the punchline, and Steven can't help but smile a little despite himself as he shakes his head. "Light 'em up, Strawberry!"

"It's _Berry,_ " Berry corrects sharply, shooting her a glare in response before turning away and catching both of her hands on fire. Steven watches silently, while Connie makes her way forward beside him, as Berry reaches into the box and lights all the fireworks at once. Then she jumps back, stumbling back toward them and pretty much diving behind Lemon Lime when Pumpkin abruptly gets bored of her alien and abandons it in the sand to dash over to the Ruby, likely distracted by the fire; she's quick, but not quick enough, to put it out, and promptly ends up scrambling up to Lemon Lime's shoulder, hissing down at the little creature. "Back! Get _back!"_

"Awh, Berry, come on," Lemon Lime starts to object. "She's cu-"

He stops. Everyone stops. There's a whistle, soft at first, and Steven winces.

_("Incoming!")_

There's a sharp crack, a pop, and something whistles into the sky and explodes. Steven can't keep himself from clasping his hands over his ears in time, briefly flinching back away from the sound, but the bright colors suddenly flashing overhead stop him from closing his eyes and shying away completely. He freezes for a moment, watching the sparkles of light dissolve into the sky. Another one goes off, and he can't keep his body from reacting in time with a reflexive flinch - Connie's arm wraps around him on one side, cautious, and Peedee comes up on his other side to rest a hand on his arm - but once again, he's too mesmerized by the lights and the burst of colors to look away as the fireworks whistle up and explode into the sky all at once. Everyone else seems just as mesmerized, just as in awe - most noticeable Berry, however, who, much to Steven's surprise, practically has stars in her eyes, mouth open as she watches.

The gems and Greg are quick to join them; Greg rests a hand on the hybrid's head, and Steven manages to shoot him a genuine, reassuring smile before rooting his eyes back to the sky. Another firework goes off, and while the sound causes his body to flinch again, sinking back against his father as his shoulders jerk, the smile remains as he watches the colors burst.

He doesn't notice Sadie and the Cool Kids disappearing onto the stage again until the familiar sound of a guitar drowns out the fireworks, and his head swivels in that direction at once.

Sadie grins at him, microphone in hand. Behind her, Jenny and Buck are holding guitars - a bass and electric respectively, Steven notes joyfully - and Sour Cream has taken up beats, bobbing his head along as they play. The hybrid turns completely to face them, no longer caring about the fireworks; the music far drowns out the explosions by then, and all that's left is the colors, but it's not enough to capture his attention. He recognizes the tune that's playing after a moment, a more hardcore, rock version of the 'happy birthday' song, and he can't help but laugh, albeit confusedly, tilting his head at the four curiously. "This is for the birthday boy, Steven Universe, brought to you by-" Sadie pauses, and Buck abruptly stops playing the song to do a sharp guitar riff before Sadie continues on with a grin, "Sadie Killer and the Suspects!"

Most of the crowd bursts into cheers, but Steven just stares, wide-eyed with awe.

A band. Sadie's in a _band!_

"Happy birthday to you!"

A rock band, no less. Steven can't keep the grin off of his face, eyes wide with excitement as he watches them, and he hears Amethyst giggle a little bit at the starstruck look on his face.

"Happy birthday to you!  
Happy birthday dear Steven  
Happy birthday to-"

Sadie stops suddenly, blinks, and her gaze drifts past Steven, then lifts toward the sky.

It takes him longer than he'd like to admit to register the all-too familiar rumble of an approaching ship, the whirring and the bursts of air that usually accompany it, and what it all means. A part of him almost hopes to see Berry's ship when he turns around, hopes that maybe Agate, Sage and Tangerine had returned for some reason, but the rest of him knows better. His heart sinks immediately the moment his eyes rest on the ship hovering just above them. He hears screaming, humans freaking out while the gems cluster together; Peedee stays close to him, despite his dad trying to call him over to him and Ronaldo. Connie draws her sword from her bag, and Lion stands poised beside her, lips pulled back in a snarl. Clementine pushes her way forward, summoning her mallet while Steven finally manages to summon his scythe.

"No…" Pearl whispers, pressing closer to Steven as she summons her spear. Amethyst is frozen, expression spasming in mixtures of fear and anger as her whips appear in her hands.

Garnet pauses, adjusting her visor.

Berry stares upwards, unmoving. "Wait…"

In the background, he hears Nanafua trying to calm everyone down. Pearl's trying to send Greg back to his van, back to safety, but the human isn't having any of that; if anything, he moves even closer to Steven, who really can't think straight enough to tell him that leaving is probably the best option for him right now. He sets his jaw, eyes on the ship, and hefts his scythe.

"Wait!" Berry yells, much louder, and everyone freezes. Clementine's gaze snaps over to her.

Lemon Lime looks confused. "Berry, isn't that…?"

Steven stares at them, then at the ship, shoulders tensing as it descends toward the ground. Berry stares for a moment longer, her expression unreadable.

"That's my ship," she finally says, appalled. "That's my Sun Incinerator."


End file.
